Remodelling Murder

A blood-stained wooden mallet, a body found in the bedroom of Sibson Hall, a large country house with a locked door and window… it all reads like a game of Cluedo. Dutifully on the case is Pat Hound the Detective Inspector, who is prone to eating doughnuts for breakfast, is in the throes of menopause, and feels as if a “universe-sized bottle of cola and God had just shaken her and dropped in a celestial mento”.

Remodelling Murder by Nic Scanlan-Dyas is an intriguing crime novel that unfolds painstakingly, revealing everything that doesn’t meet the eye. A carefully curated mystery surrounds the implausible death of the mallet-wielding victim, where all five employees of the renovation company Yukiko Curiosity Design, tasked with remodelling Sibson Hall, espouse the death as ‘suicide’.

Pat’s internal dialogue gives the murder-mystery much of its dry humour and is a welcome balance against the unfolding character-laden narrative. There’s much here to enjoy, with layers of suspense and tension building as we learn about Sibson Hall’s Japanese owners and their ties to the Yakuza. It feels culturally atmospheric, an unfolding of who did what and why, played out with subtle nuances and underlying whispers of ghosts and superstition. It makes for a refreshing departure from your usual murder-mystery fare.

In Remodelling Murder, Scanlan-Dyas keenly offers each character’s narrative: those in opposition with each other, those whose voices are littered with clues, and those with unspoken collusions that largely tease the final surprising reveal – which is not so surprising when you go back and re-read sections to see what you missed.

What’s interesting too, is the journey of Pat as she navigates the minefield of menopause while remaining committed to the clues around her and keeping an ear to the ground for red flags.

Remodelling Murder is a twisted mystery where secrets disintegrate and reveal themselves as fast as Sibson Hall sheds its plaster and paint.